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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · field · track · plane · coach · rash · wake · ball

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. field — for sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — a series
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — farmland
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — a trail
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. field — a subject
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com